Kyojuro Rengoku Ice Heart And Flame Soul

A Morning With Senjuro ~ { Life With Rika and Kyojuro }

I stopped outside the door, and Senjuro opened it, somehow knowing I was there.

"Hello, Rika. I'm sorry, my brother is out on a mission. I don't know when he will be back, but I hoped I would see him sometime today."

"Oh, alright then. Would you mind some company?" I asked.

Senjuro lit up and his smile filled me with warmth. Kyojuro's younger brother was a very special young man.

I walked into the house and sat down at the dining table. "So what are we doing today, Senj?"

"Oh, um..." He turned red, and it was so cute. He came and sat beside me at the table. "I was going to practice using a sword today, but that's going to be boring for you. Do want to join me while I prepare lunch?"

"I would love to." I said.

He smiled and jumped up. "Alright, let's go to the kitchen. I don't know what I'll make yet, but maybe you can help with an idea." He said.

I got up and followed Senjuro to the kitchen. "How about something you learned recently?"

"Oh, I learned a dish from the west. I don't know what it's called, but it has chicken and it's very good." He said with excitement.

"Alright, let's make that. I'm sure it's going to taste great." I said.

He stopped at the counter and turned to me. "Thank you for coming here today, Rika. I know you came to see my brother, but it's nice to not be alone. It's been a bit lonely here. And I'm also glad that brother has you now. I know that before you came into his life, he was very lonely. Thank you for all that you've done for our family."

My heart felt sad for Senjuro. With a father like they had, it was no wonder he felt lonely. And Kyojuro was away a lot, either on missions, or spending time with me at my home.

I stepped forward and put my arms around Senjuro. "Senjuro, how about if I come by once a week, even if Kyojuro is away, I'll come just to see you?"

A smile spread across his face, and I couldn't help but smile back. "Thank you, Rika, I would like that."

"You know that you're like a younger brother to me too, right? And I love you Senj."

"Thank you, Rika. You are also a good older sister, and I'm lucky to have you and Kyojuro."

"And Kyojuro and I are lucky to have you." I said with a smile.

He smiled and turned toward the counter. "I have some chicken here."

I stepped forward and wiped my hands on a clean towel that was sitting on the counter. Then I grabbed the chicken and put it on a cutting board. "How do you want me to prepare this?"

"You need to cut it up into small slices. These thighs are good for this dish, they give it more flavour." He said.

"Alright, I'll start on that." I said.

I began to slice up the chicken and looked over at Senjuro. He was standing there, staring at the vegetables he wanted to prepare.

"Everything alright?" I asked.

His head turned to me and his eyes were glistening. "Oh, yes, I'll be fine."

Senjuro cut the vegetables up and set them aside on the counter. He then grabbed some sweet potatoes.

"Brother loves these. I want to add them to the meal." He said.

"Good idea, and maybe if Kyojuro ends up coming home at lunch, he can have some and be surprised."

I finished slicing the chicken, then I set it aside and looked over at Senjuro. He looked at the chicken that was cut and nodded, but was silent. I looked at his face, and he seemed to want to say something.

"Senjuro, I can listen if you want to talk."

He turned back and stared at the vegetables sitting on the counter. I was just worrying when he spoke up. "Is this... is this what it's like to make lunch with a mother?"

"I don't know. My mother died when I was young. I never got to find out."

His eyes watered, and then a tear fell. I wiped my hands again on the towel and put my arms around Senjuro. He wrapped his arms around my waist and he buried his face into my shirt and wept.

My heart broke for sweet Senjuro. I wished I could make his pain go away. He was a lonely little boy who just wanted his mother. It made me wonder how much Kyojuro was also holding in and not releasing.

"Hey, how about we set aside lunch for now? It's still a little early, anyway. You were going to practice with a sword today. Let's go do that. I could use some practice myself."

Senjuro sniffled and looked up at me with a smile. I disliked their father more and more. After their mother died, he should have been there for his children.

"Alright, let's go to the yard."

Senjuro turned, and we left the kitchen together. We went out to the yard, and I grabbed a bokken and gave it to Senjuro. I went back and grabbed another one for myself.

"So Senjuro, I'm guessing you and your brother used to do this." I said.

"Oh yes, brother became my teacher after our father stopped. Brother worked very hard, and I'm proud of him. He's going to become a Hashira one day."

Senjuro swung his bokken. It was a very harsh strike, and he had his hand twisting the wrong way for the angle he was striking at.

I stepped toward him. "Senjuro, try to turn your hand at an angle like this." I demonstrated with the bokken I was holding.

He tried to copy me but still had the wrong angle. I walked behind him and held my arms out. "May I?"

"Yes, of course." He said.

I reached toward him and held his hand. I turned it to the right angle and guided his hand in a strike at the angle he should use for this direction.

"Your katana will do most of the work for you, but you still need to strike at the right angle. If you don't, your katana doesn't know what you want from it and it will fail you." I said, stepping back.

"Right. Like this?" He asked, then swung at a beautiful angle.

"Yes! Just like that! Keep practicing that, Senjuro. I know you have what it takes."

He turned to me and smiled, and I couldn't help smiling back. This little guy was so loveable. I was happy to have him in my life. After losing Mura, he made me feel like I had a brother again.

"Thank you, Rika. I can understand why my brother loves you so much. You are very kind." He said.

I laughed. "Oh Senjuro. You never met me the way your brother did. I wasn't kind at all to him. I might have even scared you away if I had met you first. Before your brother, I used to be a very different person."

A movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention. I instantly focused on my senses, and the temperature in that direction was warm. Somebody was there. The body was very warm, and I knew it was Kyojuro.

I turned my head, and he was sitting on the porch, watching us. A smile reached my face as I saw the man I loved so very much.